Topic: Email/DNS routing anomaly

[ber]

HI I've got some email issues when emailing to a client whose website is hosted on our server. We cant email them as the DNS is resolving emails locally. Their emails are hosted on their server (SBS 2003). 

Our server- SME 7.5 in server/gateway mode. Not absolutely certain but I'm guessing that the DNS is resolved by our Server through our ADSL Modem Router (New Zealand).

What's the best set-up so that the emails are routed to the client rather than our server.

In the admin server set-up I have not put in any addresses in the DNS option; which is the recommended option.
I'm quite certain this is a DNS issue- just unsure where exactly it is- my gut feeling is that i should enter our ISP DNS settings in rather than leaving it blank so that it resolves locally- any help appreciated. Thanks.

[janet]

ber

What's the best set-up so that the emails are routed to the client rather than our server.

You need to change external DNS records to point the mx records for that domain at the SBS 2003 server location.

[ber]

HI Mary,

I'm not sure Ive made myself clear in my explanation, other external senders are able to send to the SBS since their DNS is  resolved via their internet DNS servers, only emails being sent locally are being redirected to our SME server by the server itself- I'm thinking due to the domain web site being hosted on the server??
The DNS records for the MX are currently configured to point email traffic to the SBS. (client site).
Am i hearing you right?

Regards John

[janet]

ber

That's fine then.
In the Domains panel in server manager for the domain in question, what is the setting for Domain DNS servers ?
It should be Internet DNS servers, rather than Resolve locally.

Note that external DNS records should be configured to point www at your SME server IP so your local users will still resolve to the web site hosted on SME

[mmccarn]

This used to work even if the "internal" mail server was off-site:
http://wiki.contribs.org/Email#Deliver_email_for_one_domain_to_an_internal_mail_server

[CharlieBrady]

You need to change external DNS records to point the mx records for that domain at the SBS 2003 server location.

That won't be sufficient. SME server will not look at the mx records for domains which it considers to be 'local domains'. You would need to configure a 'delegated mail server' for that domain.

Alternatively, don't configure the domain on SME server. Configure instead www.domain.name so that the website is supported, but mail for domain.name isn't considered local. The only downside to this approach is that only http://www.domain.name/ will work, not http://domain.name/. You could fix that with a custom template for httpd.conf which generates a redirect.

[ber]

HI Charlie, apologies for a late post on this - its been an ongoing problem that has not really be solved (no time and no urgency).
I have both now and would like to look into it further and hopefully resolve it.

I am wanting to clarify the fixes that have been suggested by yourself and mmccarn.
I warm to his solution (mmccarn) if in fact it is able to resolve the problem.

Would that resolve the issue as he has suggested?

To again clarify the problem- our local SME server (7.5 Server/gateway mode) hosts a clients website but not the emails. MX records are set-up to point to there server, A records are pointed to our SME server. All internet emails and web traffic route as expected, except for our local email traffic.

I beleive this is a DNS issue. Our local SME acts our DNS and routes email traffic back to our server due to the web domain being hosted on the server, and hence no email delivery.


Also I'm going to post this again as suggested.

Regards John (ber)

[janet]

ber

Also I'm going to post this again as suggested.

I did not see where that was suggested, anyway rather than answering in two threads, posters should follow up here please
http://forums.contribs.org/index.php/topic,48611.new.html#new

[ber]

Mary when replying to a post that unreplied over 60 days tue forum suggests and also autoposts the thread. Thanks

[janet]

ber

In this case though, it is the same unresolved issue/topic by the same OP (original poster), so best to continue the same thread.
The message given on old posts is:
"Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 60 days.
Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic. "

I tested it and the system does allow me to post to old threads, so I was not automatically forced to a new post/thread.

It's not an issue or bother to me, just stating what I thought was the obvious or preferred thing to do (ie not to scatter information about unnecessarily)

Your issue has been answered, it just seems you do not believe the advice of the experts, so I re-answered it for you, hopefully more clearly.